Here it is, April 7th as I write this little blogglet. I'm tired, cranky and bitter to be getting back to reality. I just got married and came home from my incredible honeymoon late last night. Life's been great for the last few weeks. We didn't spend nearly as much money as we'd anticipated, so I've got some extra cash lying around.

I'd been hoping for this exact scenario. My DS Lite broke months ago. I wanted to come back from my honeymoon and rush to the store in order to snag a DSi. But I didn't. I still haven't. I like the additions and the look of the upgraded handheld, but I still haven't made my way out to the store. And, for the life of me, I can't figure out why I haven't picked it up yet.

So, what in the hell has been stopping me?

I've got a few things that I've been mulling over for the last few days. I'm trying to come up with a reason to buy the DSi, and all I've developed are reasons why I should simply hold off. What are they? All right… here we go.

No bundles. Okay, so call me old fashioned. I miss the good ol' bundle units. When we (in the sense that everyone reading this is exactly 24 years old) were kids, every system launched with a game packaged in. Not only did it launch with a game, it launched with a flipping amazing game. Sure, the bundles may have carried a little overhead in price, but you could justify the extra expenditure by citing all the good times to be had. What's bundled with the DSi? A stylus, power adapter, instruction manuals and (I'm guessing here) something telling me I NEED to join Club Nintendo.

The price. $169.99 is pretty expensive for a handheld. Sure, the PSP sits at $200 pretty easily. But this is a Nintendo device. Nintendo is a historically affordable brand. What's with the price hike? This is the company that released a unit for a fraction of the cost of its nearest competitors and here we have a handheld launching at a steep price in a shitty economy. In a market where I'm stopping myself from feeding my 80s DVD addiction, spending $170 doesn't feel too good. The pile of surplus cash in the corner of my bedroom isn't exactly at swimmable depths yet.


Betcha can't name that show (you probably can).

DSi Ware. The opening line-up has me far less than convinced that I need to invest in the system. While I'm banking on the further fleshing out of Nintendo's software choice, the games that are launching with the handheld aren't exactly lighting any fires below me. Here they are, in case you're wondering.

WarioWare: Snapped!
Bird & Beans
Brain Age Express: Math
Master of Illusion Express: Funny Face
Art Style: AQUIA

The "extras" and "upgrades". This one really only applies to folks in something similar to my situation. I've got an iPhone (not bragging, just saying), I don't need an internet browser, a camera or an MP3 player. These are things that I already own in one device. The major selling points for the upgrade are essentially lost on me. And no, the iPhone is not the future of gaming. I have games, I only play them on trips, in lines or while I'm pooping. There's nothing revolutionary about that in my opinion.

No GBA slot. I know, I know, it's been said that we'll be seeing GBA games as a downloadable option for the new platform. I've seen no confirmation in the last few weeks, granted I've been away and unplugged for over one so something could have changed. But as far as I know, nothing confirmed in the way of GBA titles for the DSi. I've a giant collection of those cartridges and investing in the DSi would make it impossible for me to play them again for a while. Sure, I could go out and get an Advance on the cheap, but I don't have too much extra dough to spend. The extra bucks I'm heaving at the DSi will hamper spending for the months to come. And, dammit, I want my Gunstar Heroes action ASAP.

So that's what's holding me back. I've been staving off the need to take the plunge for the reasons above. And that was going really well until about an hour ago when I got an email from Best Buy. My $50 Gift Certificate is ready for use! Talk about a change of heart… the system now sits at a perfect $119.99, which, I maintain to my wife, is an exceptional price point for the handheld with incredible upgrades. At $120 I can certainly support the need for an extra camera, MP3 player and web browser. I'll gladly wade through the puddle of DSi Ware crap until the good stuff comes out.

Oh, and if you get a system within the first 6 months of launch you get 1,000 DSi Ware points to spend in the store. I'll be holding onto those until something bigger and better comes along. But that brings the price down to $109, especially when I'm trying to convince my new wife.

I guess what I'm really trying to get at here is that what's been holding me back from the DSi was the price. Up until an hour ago, I couldn't justify the need to spend $170 on a few minor upgrades. The upgrades were only minor because of the price itself. Here I am with 50 smackers off and I can't wait to get to Best Buy tomorrow. What a difference half a c-note makes, eh?

I'm sure I'll be bitching about the lack of DSi specific software in the months to come, as I'm often apt to do, but in the meantime I'm going to pick up Rhythm Heaven and Henry Hatsworth (you better believe it!). And I can't wait for Mario and Luigi 3!

Anyone have the DSi yet? I realize plenty of folks see the $170 price as being perfectly justified and rushed out to get the system on day one, what about those that didn't? What's holding you back?